This newsletter series will give you insights and
techniques to help you build a better business no
matter how large or small yours is. I always say that
success comes from working on your business
as opposed to in your business. I want to
share with you the systems and philosophies that have
been successful for me over the years.
This is newsletter #41 in the series. If you have
missed prior newsletters, and are enjoying the series,
we encourage you to purchase the program. More
information can be found by clicking on the coupon at
the bottom of this page.
Every business should have standard forms that are to be used for various office and business procedures. Such forms include those used to record incoming telephone calls, sales leads, proposals, and completed contracts. There are even forms that can be used for problem solving and flow charts.
Maintain completed forms on file for future reference and to expedite follow-up procedures. Create a checklist to ensure that all the key elements of the task are not forgotten.
Be sure that all employees use all forms consistently. Provide training and sample completed forms for everyone to review and learn the procedure for. Make note when an individual does not comply with your request in order to reinforce their use of the required forms.
Be sure that all forms are completed accurately. This will provide a written documentation of the all-important phases of your business and will provide consistency and confidence in your operation. Maintaining a central file of all forms used by your business helps in form control (keeping the proper number sequence) and reordering when necessary.
There are commercially available forms and workbooks that can help you organize your firm's procedures better. You can purchase them at discount office supply stores or online. You should also explore electronic versions of the forms and logs that you want to use”in many cases they are more efficient than paper ones. You might want to research purchasing systems and apps that integrate all your forms and projects. In most cases these can be used on desktop computers as well as tablets, which is very useful for your field staff.
For more information on this topic, get a copy of Mike Holt's
Business Management Skills textbook or Ultimate Business and Success video library.
We'd
love to hear from you about this series, and the ways you're using it.
Send us your comments and feedback by clicking on "Post a Comment"
below. Look out for the next part in this series a month from now, and
please share with your colleagues.
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